Reviewed by USGS7y ago
M7.3 earthquake in Banda Sea
Monday, June 24, 2019, 02:53:39 UTC · 6.408°S, 129.169°E
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck in Banda Sea on Monday, June 24, 2019, 02:53:39 UTC, at a depth of 212.0 km (intermediate). USGS received 295 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of IV (light). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.6 on January 27, 2006.
Tsunami flagUSGS sets this flag for large events in oceanic regions so tsunami warning centers review them. It does not by itself mean a tsunami occurred. Check tsunami.gov and local authorities for official messages.
- Magnitude
- 7.3
- Major · mww
- Depth
- 212 km
- Intermediate
- Felt reports
- 295
- Max intensity IV
- Est. shaking
- VI
- Strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Impact estimate
- Tsunami
- Flag
- Check tsunami.gov
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 200 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
1.3 megatons of TNT
That is about 89 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 2,818 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
4 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Banda Sea and Timor plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: intermediate
212 km
Intermediate-depth earthquakes usually break inside a plate that is sinking into the mantle. Shaking spreads over a wide area but is gentler at the epicenter than a shallow quake of the same size.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia | IV · Light | 114 | 722 km |
| Coonawarra, Northern Territory, Australia | IV · Light | 49 | 718 km |
| Dili, Dili, East Timor | IV · Light | 42 | 508 km |
| Howard Springs, Northern Territory, Australia | IV · Light | 21 | 732 km |
| Palmerston, Northern Territory, Australia | IV · Light | 21 | 721 km |
| Humpty Doo-MacMinns Lagoon, Northern Territory, Australia | IV · Light | 9 | 738 km |
| Jabiru, Northern Territory, Australia | III · Weak | 4 | 831 km |
| Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia | III · Weak | 4 | 977 km |
| Kupang, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia | II · Weak | 4 | 773 km |
| Kununurra, Western Australia, Australia | III · Weak | 3 | 1057 km |
| Nguiu, Northern Territory, Australia | IV · Light | 2 | 648 km |
| Palu, Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia | III · Weak | 2 | 1220 km |
USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
Modelled from the ShakeMap and population data. Alert level green: low likelihood of casualties and damage.
- V · Moderate shaking
- 25,000 people
- IV · Light shaking
- 979,000 people
- III · Weak shaking
- 1,800 people
Estimated shaking in nearby towns
- TiakurPopulation 0IV · Light
- SaparuaPopulation 0IV · Light
- AmboncapitalPopulation 356,000IV · Light
- PelauPopulation 0IV · Light
- PassoPopulation 0IV · Light
- HilaPopulation 0IV · Light
- LospaloscapitalPopulation 17,000IV · Light
- TulehuPopulation 0IV · Light
After the main event
Aftershocks within 200 km
USGS lists 25 M2.5+ earthquakes within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.2 on July 5, 2019. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 4.2Banda Sea7y ago · 96 km E of this epicenter
- 4.5Pulau Pulau Tanimbar, Indonesia7y ago · 152 km SE of this epicenter
- 4.4236 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste7y ago · 138 km W of this epicenter
- 4.2291 km S of Ambon, Indonesia7y ago · 66 km W of this epicenter
- 4.5Banda Sea7y ago · 69 km E of this epicenter
- 4.3274 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste7y ago · 129 km W of this epicenter
- 4.4244 km WSW of Tual, Indonesia7y ago · 162 km E of this epicenter
- 4.1220 km W of Tual, Indonesia7y ago · 186 km E of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 1,532 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.11963 Banda Sea EarthquakeNovember 4, 1963 · 78 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.7Banda SeaNovember 2, 1950 · 46 km S of this epicenter
- 7.6196 km S of Ambon, IndonesiaJanuary 27, 2006 · 155 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.5273 km WSW of Tual, IndonesiaJune 3, 1927 · 159 km E of this epicenter
- 7.3145 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor LesteAugust 30, 1917 · 201 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.355 km S of Ambon, IndonesiaOctober 8, 1950 · 267 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.3281 km WSW of Tual, IndonesiaDecember 20, 1992 · 137 km E of this epicenter
- 7.3172 km NE of Lospalos, Timor LesteNovember 24, 1983 · 163 km SW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 18 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 69 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1852M8.3
Maluku: Bandanaira
25 Nov 1852 · 144 km away · intensity IX
60 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1763
Bandaneira
12 Sep 1763 · 102 km away · intensity X
7 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1711M7.0
Banda Sea
5 Sep 1711 · 268 km away
2 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1710
Bandaneira
6 Mar 1710 · 224 km away · intensity IX
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1975M5.9
Maluku: Bandanaira
15 Jan 1975 · 182 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1890
Bandaneira
23 Nov 1890 · 227 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.